Cider Chat

Northern Spy is a short story that weaves the tale of the early grafting of the apple known as the Northern Spy, Quaker values, and the Underground Railroad. Read and written by Ryan Monkman, for the new Cider Chat segment titled "Stories in Ciderville". For additional reading and inspiration look to the children's book An Apple for Harriet Tubman. Northern Spy by Ryan Monkman About 200 years ago, somewhere in Upstate New York, a boy ran through the woods. He hid in a bush under a tree. Then, when no one found him, he stood up and grabbed an apple above him. He bit the apple then spat it out. It was horribly acidic. The boy ran back to town and convinced a friend to take a bite of the "wonderful" apple. Soon it was a game: try the apple, spit it out. But the boy's father liked the acid. The two of them walked back to the forest and picked the tree clean. They put the apples in bins then put those bins in their root cellar. Everyday the father would have an apple with breakfast. Everyday the son would try to sucker a new friend. After a few weeks in storage, the apples grew sweet. The father didn't like them anymore and the son's game grew boring. So the crates sat, untouched and unloved, next to the potatoes. The boy's mother found the apples in mid Spring. Somehow they still looked and tasted like apples after months underground. She took them to a church picnic. There's a tradition in Quaker communities; speak boldly when the Spirit calls you to. A neighbor spoke and the town listened. That summer they propagated the wild apple. If you plant an apple seed, you'll get an apple tree but the fruit will be different. With each generation the seeds morph and mutate. The apple changes. If you want to preserve the beauty of a varietal, you have to take a cutting of the original tree and plant the cutting. That's what the town did. They sent a team into the woods to collect small clippings of the wild tree. Each cut was only two inches long. Those cuttings were then slipped into a piece of root from another tree then the two were planted together. The bottom half rooted in the ground, the top half bearing identical fruit to the wild tree. The grafted trees were divided throughout the town. Each family grew a handful of trees and the church planted an orchard. Eight years past. Then one day in May the town awoke to a bursting of pink flowers. That Summer they saw their first fruit. That Fall they picked their first apples. The boy, now a man, loaded up a wagon and headed South. Then another wagon followed. And another. That Winter the town was empty. The wagons would pull into a new town. The driver asked for the Station Master, dropped off a whack of apples, then left without another word. In each town the pattern repeated. When the wagon was empty the driver returned home, refilled, then hit the road again. By February the town was out of apples. Traffic on the Underground Railroad surged that Spring. One of the first tastes of freedom was a piece of fruit that never seemed to rot. Cloaked in secrecy, the apple earned a nickname; the Northern Spy. by Ryan Monkman Ryan lives in Prince Edward County, Ontario making and selling cider with his family and cider team at FieldBird Cider. ___________ Have a story to tell for the "Stories in Ciderville" segment? Must be 3000 words or less or under 4 audio minutes Apples and pommes must be integrated into the story line Send your essay and a recording of yourself reading your essay to ria@ciderchat.com

New England was the Plymouth Rock of cider in the US for the colonist and western Massachusetts is the launch pad of the modern day US cider market. It was here in 1984 that West County Cider and The Maloney family rekindled America's love affair with cider. Thirty Six years forward to 2020, provides a perfect time to explore the terroir of cider in western Massachusetts with Field Maloney, Soham Bhatt of Artifact Cider, and Steve Gougeon of Bear Swamp Orchard, Cider and Distillery and Steve Garwood of Ragged Hill Cider. This Tasting and Talk was moderated by Ria Windcaller, of Cider Chat podcast and presented at CiderCon 2020 in Oakland, California. We begin this talk with Soham Bahatt of Artifact Cider with a newly built Tasting Room and production center in Florence, Massachusetts. We taste the 2017 Roxbury Russett! Next up is Steve Garwood of Ragged Hill Cider based in West Brookfield, Massachusetts. We taste the Traditional Dry! Steve G0ugeon of Bear Swamp Orchard, Cider and Distillery shares with us the 12% New England Style Cider Then Field Maloney of West County Cider shares two ciders, Riene de Pomme and Pura Vida Watch this presentation sync'ed with the power point in the exhibit at the Cider Chat YouTube channel Mentions in this chat September 1-6, 20202 England Cider Tour Stories in Ciderville: Submit a cider/pomme focused essay (up to 3000 words) to: ria@ciderchat.com All accepted essays will be read by the author on an episode of Cider Chat. Send in a 90 second audio snapshot telling listeners what is happening in your perfect spot of Ciderville Send to ria@ciderchat.com Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

What is Flor aka Film Yeast and can the cider be saved? It's all in Part 4 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Plus, Why are FieldBird Ciders so wine like and "How did Ryan get into cider?" Ryan Monkman Listen Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3 of the Quarantine Quad Series. Ryan's chat begins at 7:35 minutes Flor Tips First indicator of film yeast is seeing what looks like an oil slick on top of the cider. Film yeast will chew up oxygen. If it goes on for more than a couple of weeks you will lose aromatics. Acetobacter will form film yeast that is more bubbly and it will eventually form vinegar. How FieldBird manages "Flor" 1. Over top the barrel, because film yeast will float. Plunge into the barrel and allow the film yeast to overflow out of the barrel That barrel will get capped and topped off every week. 2. Bottom rack. Go right to the bottom of the barrel and take everything and leave the top couple of inches behind. There is a substantial difference in the flavor depending upon where you are pulling the cider out of the barrel. Respond quickly - because of acetobacter growth and loss of aromatics. Luckily, 9 out of 10 times the cider isn't impacted. Contact for Ryan Monkman at FieldBird Cider website: https://www.fieldbird.ca/ Instagram FieldBird https://www.instagram.com/fieldbird.cider/ Ryan Monkman https://www.instagram.com/rgmonkman/ Mentions in this chat September 1-6, 20202 England Cider Tour 214: Cider 'Art + Science' w/ Kim & Dan, OR Stories in Ciderville: Submit a cider/pomme focused essay (up to 3000 words) to: ria@ciderchat.com All accepted essays will be read by the author on an episode of Cider Chat. Process NMR for cider analysis: https://www.process-nmr.com/ Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Discover two cidermaking techniques that are also used in winemaking, called Maderisation and Bâtonnage. We delve into both of these topics in Part 3 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Maderisation: What is this technique and can it be used with cider? Bâtonnage: are there any short term benefits from bâtonnage or does one need to "stir up the barrel" for a long period (1 year at the least) to benefit from this technique? Listen Part 1 and Part 2 of the Quarantine Quad Series. Maderisation - The barrels are cooked - sometimes for years. Developing flavors called "maderised". If done well it can be delicious. High alcohol cider is best for maderisation - slower bacterial growth. Cider that is has a low alcohol by volume - likely to get organism spikes. FieldBird is planning to do a maderized cider from the 2020 harvest Northern Spy, fermented half way and fortified with apple brandy and let the barrel sit in a hot place. 17 Brix on the Spys (9%) ferment down half way and then add brandy. Getting 8% sugar. Sugar helps - creates the caramel flavor and provides an appearance of freshness. No MLF in the presence of sugar. Leave in cellar over the winter. Then leave the barrel outside all summer. 30 Celsius - 86 Farenheit. This will cause the maderisation The risk of maderisation is cooking a barrel to much The final product will be around 17-18% Battonage: Is it worth it if you don't have a full year to do Bâtonnage on a barrel? Nano proteins are the biggest benefit of Bâtonnage They release into the cider providing a perception of sweetness and body with out the sugar Need at least 9 months to a year to get the nano proteins There are short term benefits. Yeast produces less carbon dioxide and bubbles. They slow down after the first primary ferment. Fermentation may have stopped but there is still sugar left. Lees absorb off aromas, except for H2S rotting egg smell. Bâtonnage helps to maintain a reductive state. Full reduction - rotting smell is a type of reduction. Which helps protect the cider from oxidization and protect the flavor components. In wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, has rich tropical flavors which come from a rich reductive state, At FieldBird, they save lees in the freezer. Cracking - the freeze helps the lees cells break down. Using frozen lees that have cracked - means it will takes only 4-5 months versus 8-9 months in the barrel to get the benefits from Bâtonnage Contact for Ryan Monkman at FieldBird Cider website: https://www.fieldbird.ca/ Instagram FieldBird https://www.instagram.com/fieldbird.cider/ Ryan Monkman https://www.instagram.com/rgmonkman/ Mentions in this chat Stories in Ciderville - send in fiction and nonfiction essays to read out loud on Cider Chat to ria@ciderchat.com September 1-6, 20202 England Cider Tour Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Part 2 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" continues with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners on working with oak barrels. Listen Part 1 of the Quarantine Quad Series Ryan addresses: Stacking Oak Barrels At FieldBird they call climbing up stacked barrels: Monkey climbing, where they uses e barrels as a ladder. Managing Head space in a barrel Using a solid bung for a full seal and not a bung with airlock How to sanitize a barrel that's been sitting for 6 months untreated. First smell barrel - if not funky you likely are ok Find out if it will hold water. Can take 2-3 days for water to absorb into the staves. Avoid chlorinated water or find a way to dechlorinate the water (Do reverses osmosis to remover the chlorine) TCA - is formed when oak is mixed with Chlorine Also known as cork taint The Gold Standard for cleaning an empty barrel is steam. A winery may have a gamajet that is used to clean the barrels via steam. Turn on for 15 minutes Burning sulfur sticks or barrel disks in empty barrels to protect barrel from oxygen which deters spoilage from occurring. Light on the sulfur on fire and seal the barrel Hang the sulfur and avoid drop the disk of sulfur into the barrel Lighting sulfur disks to put into barrels More caustic ways to clean oak barrels In the US - Scotts Labs has oak restorer that can be used to clean barrels. A caustic cleaner to mix with water Citric acid and 300 ppm sulfur (Potassium metabisulfite - KMS) KMS is water soluble. - should taste like lemon water hold unpleasant aroma out of wood and knock back the population of spoilage Ryan has had to do this up to 3x to clean out the barrel If using KMS - use 600 ppm - because 1/2 of KMS is sulfur Avoid used Sodium Metabisulfite because is can cause instability in the cider and the sodium sticks around. A Cooper can re-cooper a barrel, but this might cost more than a new barrel and should be a last resort Contact for Ryan Monkman at FieldBird Cider website: https://www.fieldbird.ca/ Instagram FieldBird https://www.instagram.com/fieldbird.cider/ Ryan Monkman https://www.instagram.com/rgmonkman/ Mentions in this chat Stories in Ciderville - send in fiction and nonfiction essays to read out loud on Cider Chat to ria@ciderchat.com Full Juice Magazine Spring Edition September 1-6, 20202 England Cider Tour Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

"Ask Ryan" features Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Ryan expertise with oak barrel ferments and oak barrels in general inspired this 4 part series. The fact that he also makes mighty fine cider and perry is also a factor. [caption id="attachment_5059" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ryan in the barrel room[/caption] Ryan has been featured in the following Cider Chat episodes: 132: Barrels & Bâtonnage 168: Barrel Aging Cider Inspiration 218: FieldBird Cider | Canada Covid Time Update In this segment Ryan answers the following questions from Cider Chat listener: Michael Is there a general aging graph for size and barrel Barrel Char to achieving a standard level of Tannins and oak flavor? I'm assuming that your answer will probably be no due to so many variables wood, level of char if any, temperatures, rankings etc. Ryan discusses the difference between French Oak vs American Oak French Oak barrels which provide more tannin and less aromatic vs American oak with more aromatic and flavor but less tannin The way a barrel is charred The more toasted - the less tannin vs less toasted more tannin The FieldBird Cider Barrel program manages the wide range of flavor profiles in oak by having a Large Barrel program that provides a mix of barrel types. What to look for in a barrel Size - look at surface area ratios How much of the cider is touching the barrel at any point. The more touching the more flavor you will get from the barrel 2 standard sizes of barrels Burgundian barrels - 228 liter / 60 gallons Bordeaux - skinny and longer hold 225 liters - just under 60 gallons. These barrels provide more cider in contact with wood. The higher the % of cider touching the barrel - the quicker you are going to extract. Oak Tannin is called - sacrificial tannin and it happens to bind with proteins, whereas the tannin in Apples are much slower to react. Recommend temperature for barrel aging? Ryan breaks it down into 3 stages to consider. 1 Primary Fermentation 2. Secondary or Malolactic Fermentation 3. Tertiary What to consider for each stage: Depends on what stage you are at during the cidermaking process and what you are trying to say with your cider Where will the barrel be stored A cooler ferment: 14-16 celsius - rich flora, pretty aromatic, but won't have a lot of body At 20-23 celsius - 70-75 F - more body less aromatic Note: Yeast produces alcohol and it also produces heat. It is hard to cool down a barrel. Ferment at a cooler temperature until fermentation is over. MLF- convert the acid in the apples into Lactic acid which provides a creamy bitterness - you need about 70 F. If cooler it will take a really long time. This long time leaves your cider at risk for bacteria. 3. Tertiary or aging from 3days to 3 years Store at 65 Farhenheit is ideal, but takes a long time to extract FieldBird uses a Submersible Aquarium heater Make sure it is a fully immersible heater. Have a couple different sizes. In the next episode 222: Ask Ryan - he will answer: 2. Do you see a large difference in profiles when stacking barrels on racks of the same batch of cider due to temperature changes from say a rack of barrels 3-4 high. And Barrel cleaning Mentions in this chat England Cider Tour September 1-6, 2020 Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

This is a continuation of our conversation with Arnould Narzain of Paris. Listen to Part 1 in episode 218: Sorbs not Sulfites Arnould Narzain with a drop backdrop of Sorbs In this episode Arnould shares even more attributes of the Pomme Sorbus Domestica. George Washington brought a Sorb tree back from his visit to France and planted it at Mount Vernon Women long ago used it for wrinkles. Green Sorbs are said to help cure diarrhea What else can Sorbs do? That will be for the future to show. Ria's Ramblings: Accept Your Species After Arnould's chat, I pontificate a bit about my view on the current state of affairs with Covid, quarantine and helping each other through it all. To mark this episode I even created a new t-shirt design Titled "Accept Your Species". Mentions in this Cider Chat Spencer in Sonoma Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/species.plantarum/ Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Bonus Cider Chat Live with the New York Cider Association's Scott Ramsey Scott Ramsey stepped into his role as Executive Director of the New York Cider Association on March 1, 2020. New York State was soon to become the hot spot for Covid-19. In short, Scott started his new job while a global pandemic was raging world wide and quickly spreading in the US. The Northeastern Cider Conference scheduled for later that same month in Albany, NY need to be addressed. Within days, the Association made the executive decision to postpone the 3 day conference. In this chat we find out a bit more about Scott's background and what the Association is currently working on and what opportunities lie ahead for this active apple state. Contact the New York Cider Association Website: https://www.newyorkciderassociation.com/ Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube

Sorbus Domestica enthusiast Arnould Narazian of Paris France, shares his knowledge and passion for this King of all Pommes. This "Service Tree's wood was used for wooden screws used in wine presses and the fruit to help cure ailing cider and wine. This chat was recorded at Cidrexpo in February 2020 in Caen France. The main chat begins at 9:20 minutes Arnould Nazarian What are some of the cultural/traditional name for Sorbus Domestica? North of France it is called "Cormé" South of France it is referred to as "Sorb" Service Tree Spierling - German What inspired Arnould's affection for Sorbus Domestica A dream and a visit to a train station in the north of Paris called Gare d'Achères–Grand-Cormier based to the North west of Paris in the town of Achères What are the special attributes of Sorbus Domestica? Sorb was used for making mechanical devices such as cog wheels for mills. This was very important for milling up corn and grains for food. These mechanisms came about in the Middle Ages of the 11-12th century The wood was also used for the main screw used to press both wine and olives for olive oil. And, early printing presses used Sorb wood too! Germinating Sorbus Domestica seeds Germinating Sorbus Domestica For the seeds to geminate they must be eaten by a bird or rabbit first. But Arnould has since found some other ways to germinate this King of Pommes. Source seeds in October/November - they must be immediately be placed into moist sand. Then placed in a refrigerator at 2degree Celsius or 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the seeds are put outdoors in March The odds of the seed germinating is 95%. Sorbs like Sandy soil Sun light Not a lot of water And the roots can be 6-8 meters down which translate to 26 feet! Sorb Fruit What does the Sorb fruit look like? The fruit of a Sorbus Domestica look like miniature apples and pears and have a range of colors from red, green, yellow and orange. The shape can be round or pear like. Are there different varieties of Sorbus Domestica? Arnould says yes, but those varieties are now lost. Sorbs though large have a special attribute that enables farmers to plant these trees in crop fields Arnould calls the leaves "Peanut Leaves" which means they are small and thus cast a very light shadow for the surrounding area The Day of the Cormé - a celebration of Sorb held in November Buy trees, marmalade, wood products, held in Normandy. Contact Arnould via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arnouldnz/?hl=en Mentions in this Chat TeePublic Cider Chat Swag Store - new designs Sorbus Domestica -t shirt at Cider Chat Teepublic Store Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider based in Prince Edward County provides an overview of Canada's response to the Covid-19 crisis gripping the world in this episode. Ryan's chat begins at approximately 11:49 minutes into this episode. Ryan in the barrel room Ryan has worked as an international consultant to winemakers, worked as a winemaker and has been an avid cider fan for years. More recently, he and his wife Nicole started FieldBird Cider based in Prince Edward County, Ontario in Canada. His episode 168: Barrel Making Inspiration is one of the most popular episode on this podcast platform. Now you can "Ask Ryan" cidermaking questions. Send your question by April 20, 2020 for the first segment of "Ask Ryan" Send to ria@ciderchat.com We will be recording this episode in late April 2020, with it airing shorty after. Contact FieldBird website: https://www.fieldbird.ca/ Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio , Spotify and wherever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on Cider Chat's blog, social media and podcast Twitter @ciderchat Instagram: @ciderchatciderville Cider Chat FaceBook Page Cider Chat YouTube